Having Three Military Air Crashes In Two Months Is Devastating — Namdas

The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Army,
Abdulrazak Namdas, has decried the safety of the Nigerian
airspace.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday
Politics, the lawmaker representing Jada/Ganye/MayoBelwa/Toungo
Federal Constituency of Adamawa State described as devastating, a
situation whereby the nation has recorded three air mishaps in two
months.

He also called on the Federal Government to urgently remedy the
situation to avoid further loss of lives.

“We have to be very cautious these days, we have recorded three
air crashes in two months. This is very devastating,” the lawmaker
said two days the nation recorded another plane crash in Kaduna
State.

“We all have to go back to the drawing board and see what the
reason is. It shows that our safety record is really very low and
that can be very demoralising.”

The nation was thrown into mourning after a Nigerian Air Force
jet crashed at the Kaduna International Airport due to bad
weather.

Victims on board the ill-fated aircraft were the former Chief of
Army Staff, Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru, Brigadier Generals
Ahmed Kuliya, O Olayinka, and MI Abdulkadir; Majors N Hamza, LA
Hayat; Sergeants O Adesina, and Umar; as well as Aircraftman OM
Oyedepo, Flt Lt TO Asaniyi, and Flt Lt AA Olufade.

The Beechcraft 350 aircraft conveying the military officers,
with registration number 5N-R203, was billed to land at the
Nigerian Airforce Base in the Mando area of Kaduna but diverted to
land at the civil airport.

Despite the demise of the Army chief, the lawmaker believes
there are still many professionals who have all it takes to
effectively fight terrorism, banditry and other security
threats.

He believes that with more funding for the armed forces, a lot
will be achieved in winning the counterterrorism war.

His remarks come three months after a Nigerian military plane
crashed short of a runway in Abuja, killing seven people on
board.

The spokesman of the Air Force, Air Vice Marshall Ibikun
Daramola had on February 21 said the Air Force plane had reported
engine failure.

The plane was on the way to Minna, in the northern state of
Niger to try to rescue 42 people who had been kidnapped.

Two months after, a NAF Alpha-Jet went missing while on an
operation in the northeastern region of the country.

NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore
Edward Gabkwet, confirmed this in a statement issued on April
1.

He said the aircraft lost contact with radar while on an
interdiction mission in support of ground troops fighting
insurgency in Borno State.

Then on May 21, a plane military crash crashed in Kaduna
State.

The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Army,
Abdulrazak Namdas, has decried the safety of the Nigerian
airspace.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday
Politics, the lawmaker representing Jada/Ganye/MayoBelwa/Toungo
Federal Constituency of Adamawa State described as devastating, a
situation whereby the nation has recorded three air mishaps in two
months.

He also called on the Federal Government to urgently remedy the
situation to avoid further loss of lives.

“We have to be very cautious these days, we have recorded three
air crashes in two months. This is very devastating,” the lawmaker
said two days the nation recorded another plane crash in Kaduna
State.

“We all have to go back to the drawing board and see what the
reason is. It shows that our safety record is really very low and
that can be very demoralising.”

The nation was thrown into mourning after a Nigerian Air Force
jet crashed at the Kaduna International Airport due to bad
weather.

Victims on board the ill-fated aircraft were the former Chief of
Army Staff, Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru, Brigadier Generals
Ahmed Kuliya, O Olayinka, and MI Abdulkadir; Majors N Hamza, LA
Hayat; Sergeants O Adesina, and Umar; as well as Aircraftman OM
Oyedepo, Flt Lt TO Asaniyi, and Flt Lt AA Olufade.

The Beechcraft 350 aircraft conveying the military officers,
with registration number 5N-R203, was billed to land at the
Nigerian Airforce Base in the Mando area of Kaduna but diverted to
land at the civil airport.

Despite the demise of the Army chief, the lawmaker believes
there are still many professionals who have all it takes to
effectively fight terrorism, banditry and other security
threats.

He believes that with more funding for the armed forces, a lot
will be achieved in winning the counterterrorism war.

His remarks come three months after a Nigerian military plane
crashed short of a runway in Abuja, killing seven people on
board.

The spokesman of the Air Force, Air Vice Marshall Ibikun
Daramola had on February 21 said the Air Force plane had reported
engine failure.

The plane was on the way to Minna, in the northern state of
Niger to try to rescue 42 people who had been kidnapped.

Two months after, a NAF Alpha-Jet went missing while on an
operation in the northeastern region of the country.

NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore
Edward Gabkwet, confirmed this in a statement issued on April
1.

He said the aircraft lost contact with radar while on an
interdiction mission in support of ground troops fighting
insurgency in Borno State.

Then on May 21, a plane military crash crashed in Kaduna
State.